Package construction for knitting needles



Sept 1942- E. w. SLINGSBYY 2,295,242

PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION FO R KNITTING NEEDLES Filed March 20, 1941 Illllllll Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGECONSTRUCTION FOR; KNITTING NEEDLES Application March 20, 1941, SerialNo. 384,317

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in package construction and isdirected more particularly to the provision of an improved constructionincluding a plurality of longitudinallyextending members having one ormore Working ends, such as is the case with knitting needles or thelike.

For example, knitting needles of conventional form usually have theiropposite end portions especially formed to provide working parts andthese parts will have various sizes and shapes according to theparticular kind of work the needle is to perform and according to thechangeable desires of the purchasing public. The package construction ofthis invention is such that the needles or other implements are not onlywell and economically contained for purposes of shipping, storage,handling, etc., but the packages are such that they may be displayed insuch a way that the working ends of the implement or implements arevisible to the purchaser.

It is a special object of the invention to provide a package of thetype, and for the purpose, being described wherein a plurality of suchimplements as knitting needles may be compactly packed in such a waythat they are at all times readily available for use yet more or lessprotected when not in use and wherein particular formation of theirworking ends are visible from without the package for purposes ofinspection.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a packageconstruction consisting of a relatively-thin envelope-like member soarranged as to efiiciently contain and enclose a plurality of implementssuch as knitting needles in such a way that they lie fiat and theirworking ends are capable of perception by the prospecting purchaserwithout disturbing the package.

Various other novel features and advantages of the invention will behereinafter more fully referred to in connection with the accompanyingdescription of the preferred form of the invention, reference being hadto the drawing, where- Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the package of theinvention in open position with a plurality of knitting needlesassociated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the same package in closed position; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fullydescribed.

Th container or enclosure proper may be formed in various ways, as willbe obvious after the disclosure is complete, but I prefer that itinclude a sheet of foldable material, such as relatively still paper,cardboard, or the like, and have a main body part 2.

This will consist preferably of a fiat, longitudinally-extendi'ng stripsuch as shown. To a longitudinal edge thereof will be hinged a back flapmember 4 which is adapted to lie adjacent to and contiguous .with therear side of part 2 when the envelope is in closed position.

Hingedly connected to the opposite longitudinal marginal edge of themember 4 is a cover flap 6 which is adapted to be folded into a positionsubstantially in parallelism with part 2 when the envelope is closed.That is, when it is desired to retain the contents of the package, suchas knitting needles, within it th parts 2, 4, and 6 will be in suchrelation with one another that the implements are disposed betweencontiguous parts 2 and 4 and the part 6.

What may be called a retaining member is hinged to the oppositelongitudinal marginal edge of the part 6 and this may include a bodyportion 8 and a tab or fiap 10. This is for overlapping or lyingadjacent the outside of part 4 when the envelope is closed and there maybe a slit or slot l2 in member 4 for receiving the tab I0.

Various means may be provided for retaining I the knitting needles orother implements within the packet. According to the drawing, thecontents are shown as elongated needles N having working portions W.Such end portions may obviously vary in shape and form and, of course,their particular construction does not form a part of this invention.However, it is desirable that the purchaser be able to perceive thepoint of the implement in order that she may be sure to obtain the onewhich best fits her needs.

Preferably the body part 2 is provided with one or more pairs of spacedand parallel slits 20 therein which are so formed as to provide one ormore parts 22 which are movable relative to the main part of the member2. That is, the implements N may be so disposed relative to the envelopeblank that the greater part of their lengths are on the upper surface ofpart 2 and intermediate portions extend through slits 20 so as tounderlie by retaining part 22.

Extending from each end of the member 2 are flaps 30 which are hingedtheretoso as to be foldable inwardly as shown in Fig. 2 to overlie theend portions of the needles. The cover part 6 is formed to have a notchor notches 32 which are cut in opposite end portions thereof so as toextend inwardly from end marginal edges of the part.

According to the preferred form of the invention, the flaps 30 areformed of transparent material, such as Cellophane. In this way, whenthe packet is closed, the flaps 3|] serve many functions: they overliethe working parts W of the needle 50 as to protect them; by being foldedinwardly towards one another, they close What would otherwise be openends of a tube and thereby tend to prevent the needles from slipping outendwise of the package; they extend beneath the cut-outs 32 and therebycomplete the closing of the packet and at the same time permit the shapeand size of the implements ends to be observed without requiring thecustomer or user to open the package.

If desired, the front panel 6 may be provided with a cut-out or window40 intermediate opposite ends of the strip. This will, of course permitintermediate portions of the implements to be observed and the inner orfree ends of parts 30 may or may not extend to such an extent that theyunderlie cut-out 40.

For reasons of economy, it is desired that the parts 2, 4, 6 and 8 beintegral and be a part of a unitary blank which is foldable along moreor less straight and parallel lines so that the parts are hinged asdescribed to permit their manipulation into the form of a tube. Thematerial of which the parts are formed may vary and the flaps 30 may besecured to part 6 as by adhesive or the like.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely asbeing illustrative and not a being restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description, and all modifications and variations as fallwithin the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appendedclaims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A package construction for objects such as knitting needles and thelike comprising in combination, a sheet of material formed to providemain body, back, cover and retaining portion with the back portionhinged at one longitudinal edge to a corresponding edge of the bodyportion, the cover portion hinged at one longitudinal edge to the othercorresponding edge of the back portion and a longitudinal edge of theretaining portion hinged to the other corresponding edge of the coverportion adapted whereby with objects on the front face of the bodyportion, the back portion may overlie the rear face thereof and thecover may overlie the front face of the body with the retaining memberoverlying the back portion, the opposite end portions of the coverportion provided with notches for exposing the ends of objects on thebody portion, and flexible transparent retaining members extending fromopposite ends of the body portion adapted to underlie the end portion ofthe cover member and overlie the ends of objects on the main bodyportion.

2. A package construction for objects such as knitting needles and thelike comprising in combination, a sheet of material formed to providemain body, back, cover and retaining portion with the back portionhinged at one longitudinal edge to a corresponding edge of the bodyportion, the cover portion hinged at one longitudinal edge to the othercorresponding edge of the back portion and a longitudinal edge of theretaining portion hinged to the other corresponding edge of the coverportion adapted whereby with objects on the front face of the bodyportion, the back portion may overlie the rear face thereof and thecover may overlie the front face of the body with the retaining memberoverlying the back portion, the opposite end portions of the coverportion provided with notches for exposing the ends of objects on thebody portion, and flexible transparent retaining members extending fromopposite ends of the body portion adapted to underlie the end portion ofthe cover member and overlie the ends of objects on the main bodyportion, the said body having means adapted to engage objects on thefront face thereof and the said retaining and back portions providedwith releasable securing means.

ERNEST W. SLINGSBY.

